A Beastly Curse
by Super-sonic Iblish
Summary: Knuckles the echidna isn't well known for his kind and loving attitude. And he finds this out when an old wolf woman places a spell on him, turning him into a scarred, ugly freak. Now he only has one year to find love, or he'll remain a beast forever.
1. Chapter 1

Knuckles looked up from his spot up against the Master Emerald and saw an old woman he didn't recognize, walking up the steps to the shrine. Knuckles raised a brow and stood up, as she made her way up the steps. The woman was an elderly wolf woman, with snowy white fur, one icy blue-grey eye, and a shaggy, dark grey muzzle and ears. Knuckles noticed that one of her eyes were missing, and was just a dark void, which slightly disturbed him. She had very withered arms and legs, her face was pale and wrinkly, and carried a small, whicker basket with her. She looked quite homely, and Knuckles was repulsed by her appearance.

She stopped and just looked at him from the top of the steps, making Knuckles' skin crawl as she stared at him with that missing eye.

"Who're you, and what're you doing on my island?" he demanded to her.

"Your island?" she asked him, with an old, shaky voice. "Doesn't this land belong to nature? You did not claim it when it was first created, what makes you think it's yours?"

"This island belonged to my people, and I was told to guard it and keep it safe! Ergo, this is my island!" Knuckles smartly replied. The woman did not seem amused, and sat down at the edge of the steps, to Knuckles' dismay. "Are you just going to sit there?" he asked her.

"I am weary from walking up these steps. I will not be here but awhile," she replied. Knuckles growled in his throat and turned his back on her, looking at the Master Emerald. It was quiet for a few moments, before the woman spoke again.

"I must say, that's a very lovely gem you have there," she said kindly.

"Are you here for a reason?" Knuckles asked bitterly, still not looking at her, "Or did you just come here to annoy me and freak me out with that face of yours?" The woman seemed slightly hurt by his harsh words, and placed a withered hand to her chest.

"Well, I may not be beautiful, but at least I don't defile myself with cruel words," she replied. Knuckles huffed.

"At least I don't make whoever sees me want to run for shelter," he muttered in response.

"My my, you have an _awful_ attitude young man! It's no wonder you're all alone up here!" the wolf girl replied, appalled.

"I'm alone up here because I have to be! It's my duty to guard," Knuckles replied, not in the mood.

"And why do you think that'd be? Why do your friends never come and visit, huh?" she asked him. Knuckles' stomach twisted slightly; how did she know he even had friends, he'd never told her.

"…Your attitude drove them off, perhaps? Maybe they've grown tired of your constant criticism, as if you're the greatest and no one can measure up to you?" the woman continued. Knuckles was creeped out and pissed off, and he didn't want to deal with this woman anymore. He turned to face the woman again, his brow furrowed in anger.

"You know, you've got a lot of nerve, coming up here and criticizing me like that! For your information, I am greater; I sit up here all day, guarding this thing all day and all night without breaks, while the others just laze along with their normal lives! Sonic and the others just can't accept that I have so much more responsibility than them! Now get your ugly ass off my island before I kick you off myself, I don't care why you're here, but I'm not in the mood for it!" Knuckles threatened.

"You should really watch what you say, someday that cocky mouth of yours is really going to get you in a lot of trouble," the wolf warned him.

"Please, I can say whatever I want!" Knuckles replied. "…And you shouldn't be talking to me about cockiness! Have you even met Sonic the hedgehog?" he asked her. The wolf frowned at the echidna, and she silently reached into her basket.

"I'll warn you one last time; watch that mouth of yours or you'll have to face the consequences," she said, pulling something wrapped in a cloth from her bag. Knuckles huffed in reply, not exactly feeling terrified of her words of warning.

"You don't scare me; why don't you go crawl back into the grave you came from and leave me alone?" he said, and he turned from her again. But to his dismay, she did not drop it or leave.

"Young echidna, I am ashamed by your behavior," the wolf woman said, "…The echidnas used to be a gentle, peace-loving people. But I can see that you have been corrupted," she spoke. Knuckles huffed again.

"I'm corrupted?" he exclaimed, "I guess you haven't looked in a mirror lately."

"You have made a bad first impression, young echidna! You act as if beauty is the only thing in this world," she said to him, walking up to him.

"Well…" Knuckles cockily remarked, "It's one of the few things…"

"You have a year to find someone to love you…" the wolf started, and she grabbed him by the wrist. The moment her skin came in contact with his, a huge, black marking grew up the inside of his arm. This black, tattoo-like marking reached up to the bend of his elbow, and was shaped like a tree, with 12 white flowers growing on it. Knuckles gasped in fear, exclaimed "whoa," and pulled his hand away fast, looking at it.

"…Before the tree blooms again," she continued, as the 12 white flowers on the tree closed back up. "Find someone who can love you for who you really are, before the flowers bloom in exactly one year."

"What the hell?" Knuckles muttered under his breath, as he looked at the marking, breathing heavily in fear.

"The words 'I love you' will break you from the spell… or stay like this forever," she said in a whisper.

"What?" Knuckles cried, before froze where he stood, as her whisper echoed in his ears and he felt a chill run down his spine.

Then, the woman backed away from him, and in the reflection of the Master Emerald, he saw something truly horrifying. He walked up closer to the emerald, as he muttered, "no… no no," in fear. His entire face had changed… somehow. He had scars and stitch marks running all over, up and down his face, and his skin was two different colors, one pale tan and one dark tan, as if someone had just stitched two completely different colored skin patches onto his face. His fur was a dark, blood red instead of the vibrant red it used to be, and his dreadlocks were gone, replaced by uneven strands of short hair that stopped at his cheekbones. He had unbelievably long bangs that hung over one side of his face, and a small set of black horns that protruded from the top of his head, right before a pair of long ears, which resembled donkey ears, on his head. Knuckles slowly touched his face in horror, and realized that his hand had been replaced by four large talon-like, black claws. He looked down at the rest of him, to find scars and black tattoo-like markings along the rest of him as well. His arms had stripes of black and white across them, and he had a longer, thicker, almost dragon-like tail with black spines that ran down it and got longer on the end. His mouth was agape, and he stared at his reflection.

"Oh my god… no, please no," he muttered.

"As aggressively unattractive outside as you are inside," the woman said from behind him. Knuckles whirled around to face her, to find that she had vanished into thin air. Knuckles looked back at his reflection, panting heavily.

"You have a year to find someone who'll love you… or stay like this forever," the woman's voice echoed in his mind, as he stared at his reflection, appalled, and fell to his knees. "…Or stay like this forever… stay like this forever… stay like this forever… forever… forever…" her voice kept echoing that whisper in his head, as he looked down at himself, breathing heavily, scared out of his mind. That's when he realized how dizzy he felt. The world around him spun, and he saw the old woman's face appear in front of his eyes, then flash away. He closed his eyes and shook his head, but the echoing words and her appearing and disappearing face wouldn't go away… until he blacked out.


	2. Chapter 2

4 months later:

Knuckles sat up against the Master Emerald as he always did, that didn't change. And both lucky and unlucky for him, nobody had ever visited in those short few months. He had 8 months to go.

He looked down at the tattoo on his arm, at the four white blossoms that'd already re-bloomed on his wrist. He pulled his long ears down, as he once again grew sad at the reminder that he may be cursed like this forever. He couldn't leave the Master Emerald alone, and nobody's visited in so long… he felt completely forgotten through the years. Now the only reason they visited was if Eggman was posing another threat. Not like he was completely upset about that though… he would've been completely humiliated if Sonic came up there and saw him like this. He'd never hear the end of it!

So there he was, wasting his precious time at the foot of the shrine, wallowing. Knuckles pulled his head up and growled in anger, mostly at himself.

"God I'm so stupid!" he told himself. "Why did I even speak to that woman! I wouldn't be like this now!"

While Knuckles griped and groaned about how terrible his life was, he thought he heard something, and he stopped talking to himself. It sounded like footsteps… and not animal footsteps! And then, he heard someone call his name… a female! His heart leapt; this person knew him… he couldn't be seen by her! Knuckles looked back and forth quickly, but there was nowhere to hide. He heard his name being called again, and the same footsteps heading up the stone shrine's steps. Unable to think, and unsure of where to go, he went the only way he knew he could… down. He jumped off the side of the shrine, the side without steps, and fell, completely forgetting that he no longer had spines to glide on.

Amy walked up the steps of the shrine. She was surprised that the hotheaded echidna wasn't already trying to kick her off his island. She made it up to the top, just in time to see a touch of red fur, before it disappeared over the edge of the shrine.

"Oh my god!" Amy exclaimed, and she ran up to the edge of the shrine and looked down. The trees were covering her view of the floor below, but she distinctively heard rustling in the trees as whatever fell ripped through the branches.

Amy ran back down the steps and around to the back of the shrine to where the creature had fallen. She suspected it was Knuckles, what with the red fur she'd seen. However, what she actually saw was definitely not Knuckles. Lying on his stomach was a dark red-furred creature, with horns, long ears, a dragon-like tail, odd tattoos and big scars all over his body. Amy was slightly scared of this creature… he looked dangerous, what with all the tattoos and scars. He wasn't exactly pretty. The creature groaned and rolled from his stomach to his back.

"Ugh… that was stupid…" he muttered, sounding as though he'd probably knocked the breath out of him.

"A-Are you ok?" Amy warily asked, not stepping any closer to him.

Knuckles didn't even look at who this girl was, before he started panting heavily and backing away on all fours, away from her.

"D-Don't worry… I'm not going to hurt you…" the girl said calmly, and he could hear her stepping closer. Knuckles covered up his face with his arms and cried, "Don't look at me! I'm hideous!" But then, it sounded like whoever it was had knelt down in front of him.

Knuckles peeked out from his arms, then let them fall, a look of confusion on his face. This girl… it was Amy Rose… the girl who obsessively chases Sonic around all hours of the day! What was she doing here!

He could see that Amy was holding back a gasp, or even a scream, when she saw his face.

"Amy?" Knuckles asked. A bit nervous, Amy spoke.

"H-How do you know my name? Have we met before?" she asked him, her voice shaking slightly. Now Knuckles looked even more confused.

"You mean… you don't recognize me?" he asked her, relaxing slightly. Amy shook her head.

"No… am I supposed to?" she asked him. Knuckles blanked out for a moment, before he nervously replied.

"Uh… n-no, you aren't!" he replied. "I've never seen you before in my life!"

"Then how did you know my name?" Amy asked, not sounding quite so scared now. Knuckles quickly though up an answer.

"I... I guessed, by… uh… reading your face. Is your name Amy?" he asked her, although he knew the answer. Amy smiled slightly.

"Yes, it is… you're a very good guesser," she said. "What's… your name?" she asked.

"_Uh… names, names… what's a name she's never heard of before!"_ Knuckles thought.

"My name is… Koda!" Knuckles lied.

"Well… Koda… do you mind if I ask… what are you?"Amy asked.

"Honestly," Knuckles replied, looking at himself, "I don't know." He looked back at her to find her staring at his face… or at least she was, until she quickly turned away. "It's hideous, isn't it?" he asked her. Amy looked back at him, shrugged, and said something that stunned him.

"I've seen worse." That's all she said, 'I've seen worse.' Knuckles was completely shocked, he was speechless. But to not make it awkward, he cleared his throat and spoke.

"S-So… what're you doing on this island?" he asked.

"Actually, I came here to see an old friend," Amy replied. "Do you know a 'Knuckles the echidna' by chance?" she asked him. Now Knuckles didn't know how to speak. Someone actually wanted to see him! Him, of all people, the forgotten guardian that nobody visited! Knuckles couldn't do more than just shake his head no. Amy gave him a slight smile.

"Well, thanks anyways. Do you live around here?" she asked. "Knuckles gets a bit protective of his island, it might not be a good idea to be so close to the shrine when he isn't around," Amy warned him.

"Oh, no, actually, I was watching it for him while he was out," Knuckles replied.

"But I thought you said you didn't know him," Amy asked, raising a brow.

"Did I say that? I'm sorry; I must've bumped my head…" Knuckles lied. "Yeah, I know him."

"Well, uh… do you know where he went and when he might be back? I kind of want to speak with him," Amy asked. Knuckles tried his best to contain himself and not just tell her that it was him.

"Uh… he's out on another treasure-hunting expedition… for old time's sake," Knuckles lied. "He probably won't be back for several months."

"And he left you in charge of the Master Emerald for that long?" Amy asked him suspiciously. Knuckles slowly nodded. It was awkwardly quiet for a few moments, while they just looked at each other, Knuckles nervous and Amy unsure if she should trust this guy.

"Well then, I think I'm just going to stay until he gets back then," Amy said, standing back up after squatting so long.

"Uh, no, that's not such a-,"

Knuckles tried to push himself up to his feet while he talked, but he winced, letting out a small "ow" that interrupted himself, and he sat back down, looking down at where the pain was coming from. He had a huge gash along the side of his left thigh, and it was actually bleeding, though he couldn't tell with the color of his fur, until he touched it with his clawed hands, and they came back wet with blood.

"Oh man, you're hurt!" Amy said. "Let me to get you something to cover that up with," Amy said. Knuckles knew he wasn't going to be able to get rid of this girl, so he sighed.

"Go out into the forest and look for the Ash trees. Near the roots, a group of plants with yellow and green leaves will be growing from the ground. Pick one or two of those and bring them back," Knuckles told her. Amy eyed him one last time, before she nodded and headed out into the thicket.

Once she was gone, Knuckles thought to himself. "_Oh man, how am I going to keep this a secret from her?"_


	3. Chapter 3

Amy came back with a handful of the special plant, to find "Koda" where she'd left him, pressing his clawed hand against the cut.

"I'm back," she said, walking up to him.

"Hello Amy," Knuckles replied, looking up. Amy knelt down in front of him and put the leaves on the floor.

"I've got the leaves. What do I do with them?" she asked.

"Here, let me do it," Knuckles said, and he took a leaf off the ground. Then he ripped off a piece of the leaf and put it in his mouth, chewing it thoroughly. Then he spit it out into the palm of his hand. Amy grimaced slightly at the gross, green paste, and watched as he put it onto his wound. As he was spreading it on, the paste began to dry and stick to his fur, making a cast-like shell over his wound.

"The leaves will heal and protect the wound for around 24 hours. Then I'll have to make more paste and put it on again," he said to her.

"How'd you know how to do that?" she asked him.

"I've lived here all my life, I'd need to know these things," Knuckles replied.

"If you've lived here your whole life, how come I've never seen you before..? And how come Knuckles has never mentioned you to us?" Amy asked him. Knuckles realized what he'd said, and he put his head down, as if ashamed to lie to her face… although some of it was truth.

"I try to not be seen too often… you see, I was cursed like this… from, uh, long before I can remember. I'm stuck as an ugly freak, and as such, you don't get a lot of love and respect, so I try to stay hidden," Knuckles said. "Knuckles actually treated me as a friend, being the only other person on this island. He promised not to tell anyone about me, and I give him company," Knuckles lied. Amy slowly nodded, and Knuckles thought back to the reason Amy was there with him.

"So, why are you here? What did you want to tell m- Knuckles- about?" Knuckles stammered, nearly referring to himself by accident. Amy sighed, not noticing his mistake and looked down.

"It's nothing really… a friend of mine is… well, is being a real jerk. I just wanted to talk to someone who understands what it's like to feel alone," she replied. "I guess it's lucky I found someone else who's also alone, considering Knuckles is gone," she added, looking up at him and smiling.

"Who is this friend?" Knuckles asked, "I might know him. I've visited the mainland a few times." Knuckles suspected it was Sonic, considering how much he ran away from her normally. Amy looked at Knuckles for a moment, then spoke.

"His name is Miles Prower… but everyone calls him Tails," Amy replied. Knuckles was surprised; Tails was being a jerk, that little, friendly, fuzzball of a fox?

"How's he being a jerk?" Knuckles asked.

"Well… He's a bit overwhelmed, after taking Sonic's place… Do you know who Sonic is? He's a blue hedgehog with super speed. Knuckles may have mentioned him a few times," Amy asked him. Knuckles nodded slowly. "…Anyways, I think Tails is just going through a bit of denial… considering he practically lost his best friend," Amy replied.

"Wh-What do you mean 'lost is best friend?' Why's he taking Sonic's place?" Knuckles asked worriedly.

"Didn't you hear? It was all over the news," Amy asked. "A half a year ago, Sonic was hit in the spine with one of Eggman's drills. He's paralyzed now; no more missions for him," Amy said, her voice quavering as if speaking about it brought back awful memories. "…And now Tails is trying to be the hero, all by himself. He's just so stressed and overwhelmed, and he just snapped. Now he criticizes everybody and never lets us do anything with him. …But I'm sure he'll get through it," Amy said quietly. "That's also why I wanted to talk to Knuckles. Since you didn't know about this, he probably doesn't either. I thought maybe he could help… lift a bit of weight off Tails' chest," Amy said.

Knuckles was speechless. She was right; nobody had ever told him about this! Sonic the hedgehog, the fastest thing alive, was now paralyzed? Why didn't anyone tell him? Knuckles looked down, his ears flopping into his face sadly. Now he felt guilty, calling everyone selfish because they never came to visit. Sonic could never visit him on this island in a wheelchair!

"Well… I'm very sorry to hear that," he managed to say to the hedgehog girl. "And I'm sorry that Knuckles isn't here to help you." He wanted to help… he wanted to tell her that this was him… but his own selfishness held him back, and he kept the lie going.

"Yeah, well… that's what I get for hoping," Amy muttered, looking at her hands. It was silent for a few moments, before she looked up at Knuckles again.

"Koda… are you sure we haven't met? Your voice sounds so familiar…" she said quietly. Knuckles swallowed nervously, yet he said nothing. "…And the way you talked to me… it's like we've known each other for years," Amy added, squinting slightly to get a better look at him. Maybe, she thought, she could jog her own memory, to see if she knew this guy. Knuckles pushed himself away a few inches.

"Uh, n-no… I'm sorry, I've never seen you before until now," Knuckles lied. Amy looked at him for another moment, before she shook her head and spoke again.

"No, I'm sorry… I'm probably freaking you out right now with all this 'I know you from somewhere' talk," she said, standing up and brushing herself off. She looked back down at Knuckles, then extended a hand to help him up. Knuckles took her offer, and without putting a lot of pressure on his leg, he stood up. He never noticed before how tall she'd gotten over the long while. She was about his height now, when he used to tower over her.

"Thank you," Knuckles said, as he brushed himself off too. "Uh, Amy? Why is it you didn't run away from me when you first saw me?" he asked her. "I've managed to scare everyone else away." Amy shrugged in reply.

"As I said before, I've seen worse. You may not be a hottie on the outside, but you've got a good heart," Amy said. Knuckles' cheeks flushed slightly, and he bit at his lip. But then, he turned and limped back towards the Master Emerald shrine, until Amy called to him.

"Hey, where are you going?" she asked him.

"I'm going back to the Master Emerald. I've still got a duty to fulfill," he said to her. Amy raised a brow suspiciously, recognizing that statement from someone else before.

"Right…" she murmured, and she caught up with him. "Well then, count me in. Remember, I'm waiting for Knuckles to get back," she said to him. Knuckles looked away and frowned, remembering, and moaning slightly.

"Didn't I tell you? He might be gone for a few months," Knuckles said to her.

"I know, but I doubt anyone would miss me," Amy said. "And anyways, I have you to keep me company!" Knuckles growled slightly.

"I don't have time to babysit," he said quieter.

"Don't worry!" Amy reassured, taking Knuckles arm, "I can take care of myself!" she said. But then, her foot triggered a rope snare trap Knuckles had set on the island, and she flew up into the air. Amy cried out in fear as she swung in the air, then pushed her dress back down when it began to inch up. She could hear Koda snickering below, and she looked down at him.

"I can see that," he said, smiling.

"Stop looking up by dress, perv!" Amy shouted angrily. Knuckles rolled his eyes, and headed over to where the rope was tied to a tree. He untied it, and lowered the rope slowly, safely bringing Amy to the ground.

"Ha ha, you're so hilarious!" Amy said, not amused, as she untied her foot and stood back up. "I can too take care of myself, watch!" she said. She took Knuckles' hand in hers, and before Knuckles had a chance to think, she flipped him over her head and threw him, lightly, to the floor. Knuckles grunted, landing on his back, and looked up at Amy in surprise. She never used to be able to do that! Amy just gave him a cocky look in reply.

"How did you do that?" Knuckles asked, pushing himself up to his feet again, trying not to hurt his leg even more.

"Several years of carrying a big, heavy mallet really builds up muscle," Amy replied, and she began to walk up the steps to the shrine.


	4. Chapter 4

The two of them sat at the top of the shrine, Knuckles sitting at the top of the steps and Amy sitting near the Master Emerald. Knuckles looked back at her for a moment, when she wasn't looking, and he observed what she was doing, why she was remaining so quiet. The girl didn't appear to be doing anything; she looked lost in thought, and Knuckles knew he needed to break the awkward silence.

"So… uh, how'd you get up here? I didn't see you arrive on a plane," Knuckles asked her.

"I asked a friend of mine named Shadow to teleport me," Amy replied. Knuckles was, once again, confused. He thought Shadow worked for Eggman; how much did he really miss sitting up here on this island? But Knuckles remained silent and he looked back out at the view. It was silent for what felt like forever, and Knuckles wanted to say something, anything, to try and get a conversation going, but he just couldn't think of something worth saying.

"You're not much of a talker, are ya?" Amy asked him, breaking the silence. Knuckles didn't look at her and shrugged.

"I guess not," he replied, "I don't really see what's so important about talking all the time. I like to just enjoy the silence." He heard Amy sigh.

"Sometimes, I'm the same way," she replied quietly, and she relaxed on the steps. It grew quiet for a few more moments, before Amy spoke again. "You got a book or something I could read or do up here?" she asked. Knuckles huffed.

"Yeah, you enjoy the silence alright," he said.

"Hey, I'm sorry, I'm bored!" Amy defended.

"I'm sorry, but I don't," Knuckles replied, and he heard Amy moan. "If you don't like it, you could very well leave. It won't hurt my feelings," Knuckles replied.

"No no, you're not getting me to leave that easily. I can live through how incredibly boring this place is," Amy replied bleakly. Knuckles sat up straight and looked back at her.

"If you're bored, why don't you go out and explore for awhile," Knuckles told her.

"Alright, I will," Amy replied, and she stood up. She was about halfway down the steps when Knuckles called.

"You might want to grab a big stick or something, in case if you run into any snakes or giant spiders!" Knuckles called. Although he wasn't trying to frighten her, Amy was very frightened of the island now.

"There are giant spiders here?" she cried up the steps.

"Yeah, not to mention wild animals and other dangerous things," Knuckles replied. The next thing he knew, Amy was up the steps and hiding behind him, panting in his ears. Knuckles chuckled slightly.

"Now now, there's no need to be scared Ames," Knuckles joked, standing up.

"You are so mean!" Amy said to him. "I used to think this island was pretty! Now I'm never setting foot in there again!" Knuckles walked away from her, still smiling.

"Well then, I guess you won't be able to eat," he replied. "Cuz I always go out into the deep, dark, scary woods, every day, for food and water, and I'm not getting your food too" he said. Amy growled angrily at him.

"Jerk," she mumbled, and Knuckles only chuckled again.

* * *

Amy looked both ways nervously as she stood at the top of the shrine, alone, while Knuckles was out in the giant spider and snake-infested forest looking for their dinner. Her heart nearly leapt into her throat when Knuckles got back, because he walked so silently. He practically snuck up on her.

"Koda, you scared the crap out of me!" Amy cried, placing a hand on her heart.

"You need to learn to be less… girly… if you want to survive here," Knuckles replied.

"Oh? And how exactly am I supposed to act less 'girly?'" Amy asked.

"First off," Knuckles replied, dropping a giant palm leaf with assorted fruits and other plants in it at his feet. "…You need to learn how to defend yourself and go get your own food," Knuckles continued. "And second of all, you need to learn how to sense when someone's coming. Cuz I could hear myself from a mile away," he said. Amy sat down, still grumbling, and took one of the fruits she could actually recognize and took a bite.

"Well, I'm sorry I'm a girl," she snapped back with her mouth full.

"Psh, not with your table manners," Knuckles replied jokingly, also sitting down and taking something to eat.

"Oh shut up!" Amy replied, and she playfully hit his shoulder. Knuckles swung to hit her shoulder back, but his claws accidentally snagged her skin and scratched her. Immediately he pulled his hand back and gasped.

"Ow! What was that for?" Amy demanded, reaching to her shoulder and pressing on her wound, as blood began to seep through the four cuts.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Knuckles exclaimed. "I completely forgot about how sharp my claws were!" He grabbed the leaf he used to carry the fruit in and came up to her. He was going to wrap her arm for her, but she just took it from him and wrapped it by herself instead.

"I'm seriously very sorry," Knuckles repeated, "I didn't mean it!"

"I know you didn't, just please, shut up!" Amy replied strictly, and Knuckles sat back guiltily. Amy winced slightly as she tied the leaf tightly around her arm. It was quiet for a few moments, before Knuckles tried to lighten the mood.

"D-Do you want me to take you to a place where you can sleep?" he asked her. Amy slowly nodded, and Knuckles bent down and lifted her in his arms. He could see Amy was blushing as he lifted her.

"I can walk just fine," Amy said to him. Knuckles' cheeks blushed slightly and he put her down.

"Uh, yeah, right… sorry," he said awkwardly, and he reached up and scratched at the back of his head. "Just, uh, follow me then," he replied, and he started his way down the temple, Amy following close behind him.

They walked a ways, before Knuckles came up to a small cave and looked inside, then back at Amy.

"Just, wait here a second," he told her, and he quickly picked some fresh leaves and headed inside. Knuckles dusted away the rocks and pebbles from the stone floor on one spot close to the wall. Then he laid down the leaves as a small mattress, and he came back outside. Amy looked up, hoping he was going to tell her that she could come inside, but instead, he just picked more leaves and vines, including a few really big ones, and went back inside. She could hear him shuffling stuff around in there. She heard the sound of a loud snap, and heard him say, "Ouch!" and she peeked inside, shielding her eyes from the light outside of the sunset.

"Need any help in there?" she asked.

"No, no, I'm just- ow!- tidying the place up," Knuckles called, as another leaf snapped back and slapped him in the face. He was trying to bend them into place to make a soft-enough pillow, but the leaves were not cooperating. A moment later, Knuckles came back out.

"Uh, you can come in now," he said. Amy ducked as she walked into the cave, and saw the little bed by the corner of the small cave. "This is where I live normally. Just had to freshen up the leaves and stuff, but… yeah…" Knuckles lied. "You can sleep here tonight," he added.

"But what about you?" Amy asked Knuckles.

"I'm sleeping up at the shrine," Knuckles replied.

"Oh, yeah," Amy mumbled, looking down at her feet. "Thank you for letting me sleep here," she replied, and she sat down on the makeshift bed.

"Seeya in the morning Amy," Knuckles said, and he headed towards the mouth of the cave.

"Thank you Koda," Amy said to him before he left. "Thank you for everything." Knuckles' cheeks were turning a light shade of pink, but he didn't turn around to show her that.

"You're welcome," he replied, and he left. Amy sighed and laid down on the bed, looking up at the dirt ceiling.

* * *

Knuckles sat at the top of the shrine that night, looking up at the stars. He sighed.

"Well Knuckles, there goes another month," he muttered, looking down at his wrist. A fifth flower was opening the rest of the way on the tree on his wrist, and he clenched his fist, watching the tendons in his wrist clench, and he put his head down. "I'm never gonna get freed from this curse," he muttered. It was silent for about a half-an-hour, before he heard a quiet voice call his fake name, and he strained his eyes in the dark to see Amy walking up the steps.

"Amy, what're you doing here? Why aren't you in the cave sleeping?" Knuckles asked her.

"I can't sleep… I miss home," she said quietly. Knuckles' eyes softened, realizing she was still the same little girl he used to know, and he scooted over, gesturing that Amy could sit next to him. She took up that offer and then placed her chin in her hands, looking up at the full moon.

"If you miss home that much, then why are you staying here? You could always just come back when Knuckles arrives," Knuckles asked her after a moment of silence. Amy raised her head and looked like she was going to say something, but then she stopped, and she moaned and placed her head back on her palms.

"It's complicated," she murmured. Knuckles cocked his head at her.

"How so?" he asked.

"I just… I feel like this is somehow my fault. And I know what you're going to say; 'No of course it's not your fault.' But then why do I feel like all of this is?" Amy said. "I want to set this right again, and that's not going to happen until I bring Knuckles back down to the mainland and have him help Tails out… and maybe give Sonic a bit of confidence as well," Amy said, quieter. Knuckles didn't know what to say; she'd already taken the only thing he was going to say, so he didn't have anything else left to offer, except the obvious.

"Don't worry… I'm sure Knuckles will be back soon," Knuckles said to her. In his heart, he didn't know how to tell her that Knuckles might not be back. He didn't want to break her heart. If he didn't fall in love with someone in the next 7 months, Knuckles would never be coming back, and he'd never be able to go and help Tails.

Knuckles sighed and folded his claws on his lap. He looked at Amy for a split second then looked back, and he spoke.

"In the meantime, I think you should quit blaming yourself and get some sleep," Knuckles said. Amy pulled her ears back and lowered her eyes.

"I don't like being by myself," Amy said with an embarrassed tone. Knuckles looked down at her, and she smiled meekly back at him as her only reply.

"Fine, you can sleep up here with me," Knuckles replied. But then he realized what he'd said and tried to correct himself. "I-I mean… not with me! You can sleep near me… not with me!" he said nervously. Amy giggled slightly at Knuckles' insecurity, but then she yawned and laid her head against his shoulder. Knuckles' cheeks were blushing bright now, as he looked at her, as she sighed and leaned against him, smiling.

"Thank you Koda," she said, snuggling harder into his shoulder.

"Uh, y-you're welcome," Knuckles muttered in reply. In just a few moments, Knuckles found Amy asleep on his shoulder. Not wanting to wake her, he just let her sleep there.

Halfway through the night, Amy woke up from the cold wind. She shivered and looked up, to see where she was, and found that her head was lying on Koda's lap, and he was asleep, leaning against the Master Emerald. Even though she felt a bit awkward on his lap, he wasn't awake to oppose, and it was much more comfortable than the stone floor, so she remained in her spot and looked up at Koda with a slight smile.

"_He sure is nice, letting me sleep on him,"_ she thought. "_I really should do something nice for him."_ Amy tilted her head slightly on top of his lap, and looked at his face as he slept. "_He sure does look cute when he's asleep,"_ Amy thought. "_But… there's something familiar about him… I just can't put my finger on it," _she thought. Amy felt that she was lying on a large stone, and it was jabbing into her thigh, so she quickly re-adjusted her position, but that woke Knuckles up. His eyes flickered open and immediately locked on hers, and then he smiled slightly at her.

"Hey… what's wrong?" he asked her with a very quiet and tired voice.

"Mmh… nothing, I'm just a bit cold," Amy replied quietly, shivering a bit. Not saying a word, Knuckles placed a hand on her arm and began to rub it, warming her a bit. Amy took this opportunity to look up at Knuckles again. She was looking straight into his violet, shimmering eyes. The green glow of the Master Emerald was highlighting his eyes so beautifully, and she smiled at him. Knuckles noticed her looking at her.

"What?" he asked her. Amy's cheeks blushed slightly.

"I'm sorry, it's just… you'd think I'd recognize such beautiful eyes… they look so familiar," Amy said to him in a whisper. Knuckles closed his eyes when she said that and leaned his head back against the gem behind him.

"It's late, you should get back to sleep," he said to her. Amy curled her knees up to her chest and she closed her eyes. A few moments later, Knuckles looked down to see that she was asleep once again, and he relaxed a bit.

* * *

aaawh, cute chappie! :) He's nearly halfway through his time limit now! Sorry about the long update time. I have summer school, and it's taking up a lot of my spare time. :P I'll try and update again soon.


	5. Chapter 5

Another month had gone by, and a sixth flower had bloomed on Knuckles' wrist. He was halfway through a year.

Knuckles woke up that morning and looked to his side to see Amy sleeping up against the Master Emerald as well, and he smiled slightly. He admired the girl's dedication to stay here, he had to admit that. Knuckles looked down at his wrist, at the 6 flowers already bloomed, and the last six that had yet to bloom, and he groaned. He stood up and stretched, his long fur bristling on end as he did so, but also, his toe claws accidentally scraped against the stone floor, making a loud enough sound that woke Amy up. Amy moaned and opened her eyes, then she looked up at him smiling.

"Morning Koda," she said.

"Morning," Knuckles replied quietly, and he sat down on the top step to the shrine.

"So, whatcha' going to do today?" Amy asked him.

"Guard," Knuckles simply replied, not looking at her.

"I meant besides that," Amy said, and he could hear her standing up and moaning, so he guessed she was stretching. "Man, how can you stand to sleep against this rock every night, my back is killing me," she complained.

"You get used to it," Knuckles replied. Then Amy came up to him, and she sat down right next to him. She was looking out at the view of Angel Island as the sun began to rise, and she sighed.

"It's so beautiful up here," she said quietly.

"That's one of the perks to being confined to this island," Knuckles replied, smiling at her. He took in a deep breath. "Anyways, besides guarding, I was thinking of a bit of training practice. I think you would benefit from it," he said to her. Amy raised a brow at him.

"And by training practice, you mean…"

"Defense, attacks, stuff like that," Knuckles answered for her. Amy slowly nodded and looked to her side.

"I guess it'd be nice to learn how to defend myself. Maybe then I wouldn't be considered as a burden," she said in reply.

"Who said you were a burden?" Knuckles asked her. Amy's eyes quivered slightly, and Knuckles thought she might cry.

"Sonic… y-you know, before the accident… and Tails," she replied shakily.

"Well you said it yourself, Tails is going through something right now, I'm sure he didn't mean it," Knuckles said to her. Amy looked up at him, her eyes getting wet, which made Knuckles nervous. Something told him he was going to hear another one of Amy's sob stories.

"But Sonic said it to me… on the night he left me," Amy said to him. Knuckles bit his lip nervously and looked down to his side. And then Amy continued. "I was on my way to a date with him… he would normally run from me, so he finally agreed to go out with me that day. But when I got there, he came right out and told me he didn't love me, right in the beginning," she said.

"Wh-what did he exactly say?" Knuckles asked. Amy sniffled and wiped at her nose.

"S-Something like, 'I'm sorry Ames, but I don't like you in that way. We could still be friends.' But then he just got up and left… left me there at the table crying!" Amy cried, and she put her face in her palms and began to sob. She fell to her knees on the shrine, and Knuckles stood in his spot, unsure of what to say and do that would actually make her feel better.

Amy sobbed into her hands until she felt something touch her shoulder, and she looked up. She saw Koda crouched down next to her, and he was stroking her shoulder with the palm of his hand, not his claws. Amy sniffled and wiped at her eyes with one hand. He continued to gently stroke her shoulder, his ears were pulled back, and his face appeared so calm, and his lips were moving. She realized, after her wheezing and whimpering subsided, that he was whispering in some kind of other language to her. It sort of sounded like a song, like some sort of ancient lullaby. She sat quietly, still sniffling every once and awhile, and listened to his song, looking at his calm face as he did so. Knuckles noticed a few moments later that she had gone completely silent and he stopped. He just stood up and looked away.

"K-Koda?" she stammered. Knuckles looked back at her, right at her face, but said nothing, and she continued. "What were you singing?"

"An old lullaby from my mother… it's one of the few things I remember about her," he replied. "It always seemed to have a certain magic to it… always seemed to calm me down when I was upset," he said, looking out into the landscape.

"It was beautiful," Amy said quietly. "What language is it?"

"Mayan; I learned it from a young age," Knuckles replied, not looking at her this time. "The song basically says, 'don't cry, little one, the past is all but dead. Lean towards those who love you now, and forget those who hurt you before. They can't hurt you now, so dry your tears and rest your head.'" Knuckles sat quietly for a few moments, before he looked back at Amy, who gave him a little smile. "I realize, it sounds better in Mayan," he joked, smiling back. Amy shook her head no.

"No, it's beautiful. It was just what I needed, thank you," Amy said, and she stood up in front of him. "You're right… I should forget about the past, because it's over," she said. "I won't even mention… you know who," she said confidently. Knuckles smiled back.

"Good!" he said, and he thought for a moment, before he spoke again. "And Amy? I don't think you're a burden at all… you're very strong, and I think you're going to turn out to be a fine young lady," he said. Amy was surprised by his kind words, him being the one who wanted to train her in the first place. The next thing Knuckles knew, he was being hugged around the middle. But this hug was different than her usual ones; this one was soft and gentle. Knuckles looked down at her and smiled, and then he wrapped his arms around her as well, completing the hug. He broke away from her, lifted her chin so she looked up at him, and he crouched down a bit so his eyes were level with hers.

"Don't you dare let anyone else tell you what you don't want to hear about yourself. Because the only good way to bring yourself down is to listen to what other people say about you," Knuckles told her. Amy nodded, his claw still under her chin, and she hugged him again, this time around the shoulders, since she could reach them now.

"Thank you Koda," she mumbled into his shoulder. "You're a great friend."

* * *

Later that day, Knuckles was standing guard at the shrine while Amy was out cleaning her clothes in the lake, since she didn't bring any extras. However, while she was gone, Knuckles heard a sound, and from the woods below, Knuckles saw a white figure step out of the trees. He immediately recognized the figure, and he walked down the steps quickly. He approached the elderly, female wolf and growled at her.

"That's it, I want to be freed from this curse!" he demanded to her. The elderly woman only shook her head. "No? What do you mean no?" Knuckles exclaimed. "Look, I've learned my lesson, ok? I want to be Knuckles again, so I can go and help my friend!"

"Ah, yes, the pink one," the woman finally spoke. "Yes, she's got a lot of fire for a 14-year-old," she said.

"Yeah, but she needs my help- Knuckles' help- I need to be changed back. Please, it's not for my own needs, it's for hers!" Knuckles pleaded. The woman was shaking her head again.

"Well then why don't you just go with her now? You are still Knuckles, even though you appear different," she said to him. Knuckles started to get mad.

"I can't do that! What more do you want from me? I've learned my lesson!" he snapped.

"You've learned nothing," the woman replied sternly. Knuckles growled and looked to his side. "Only true love's kiss can break your spell. There is no other way," the woman reminded him, "You have six more months." When Knuckles looked back, she was gone again. Knuckles clenched his fists in anger and turned to walk back up the steps. At the top, he sat down in front of the Master Emerald and rested his face in his hands.

"What am I going to do?" he murmured. Then his mind trailed back to Amy. "Oh god, I've been so stupid! Why didn't I just tell her to begin with that it was me? I can't tell her now, it'll break her heart!" He looked up for a moment, and he felt like he might actually cry. Then he pulled his knees up to his chest and placed his face in his knees. "She was right… I'm so selfish! I-I mean… how am I going to get someone to fall in love with me in six months?" As he sat there alone, he began to think of the night he shared with Amy… her sleeping on his lap. He was too tired to really react, but although it was embarrassing, he just couldn't forget her eyes, no matter how much he tried. Before he knew it, he found himself thinking more about Amy, and he shook his head.

"Oh no, no way! There is no way I'm falling in love with Amy!" he told himself. "She's too young for me! And she's annoying, and she's a nag, and she doesn't know when to just shut up, and she's… she's… amazing…" he mumbled, but then he stopped there. "But she's just a friend!" he told himself with a harsh voice.

"Who's just a friend?" a voice asked that startled Knuckles. Knuckles jumped up to his feet as Amy made it up the last step, and he scratched at the back of his head, ruffling his short hair.

"Uh… n-no one… sorry, I talk to myself," he said quietly. Knuckles noticed she was completely wet, and he found that to be a good way to change the subject. "How come you're all wet?"

"I had to wash my clothes, remember? I only have this one outfit, I didn't really pack anything else," Amy said. "And I couldn't just let my clothes sit and dry, and come back up here naked," she added, causing Knuckles' cheeks to blush.

"Um… well, here, sit by the Master Emerald. It radiates a bit of heat, which might dry you off faster," he said, gesturing her to go ahead. Amy smiled and walked up to the green gem and sat down.

"Thank you Koda," she said.

"No problem," Knuckles replied, and he sat next to her. Amy sighed.

"So… you think I'm amazing, huh?" she asked him, smiling towards him. Knuckles' cheeks were bright red now, and he swallowed nervously.

"You heard me?" he muttered. Amy giggled slightly and crossed her legs.

"Yes… And I'm flattered that you think I'm amazing," Amy said.

"Among other things…" Knuckles muttered in reply, his ears pulled back nervously.

"It's ok, you don't have to be embarrassed," Amy said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I think you're amazing too. You've been so kind to me; I haven't seen that in so long, considering what's going on down on the mainland. It's nice to see someone still cares in this world." Knuckles put on a fake smile, knowing that wasn't really what he meant by her being amazing… but it was almost good that she thought he meant in a person-type way and not in a romance-type way. He looked back at the emerald he sat up against, at his reflection in it. He looked at his scarred face, his devilish horns, his ears, his uneven hair… he was hideous. And she… she was gorgeous. She was the beauty, and he was the beast.

"_Why on earth would she love someone like me anyways_," he thought.

* * *

Knuckles blocked the attack with persistence and accurate timing. He felt a bit clunkier in this form, especially his tail; he kept tripping over it. He growled in his throat and shoved the attacker in front of him, and she fell to the floor.

Amy got right back up again, smiling wildly, and she ran at him. She attempted a falcon punch, but Knuckles easily stopped it. He grabbed her entire fist in his hand and threw her aside. The moment she hit the floor, Knuckles was on top of her, and he pinned her hands to the floor.

"If I had a weapon right now, you'd be dead," Knuckles replied, smiling cockily, and he got up and held out a hand to let her up. Amy took it and stood up, but then she squeezed his hand tight and flipped him over her shoulder and slammed him to the floor. Knuckles groaned and sat up.

"Again, really?" he asked her. Amy chuckled at him.

"Don't let your guard down," she told him, and she held a hand out to grab his. This time, he didn't take it, and he pushed himself up.

"You could've gotten killed if you tried that in a real fight. Don't do the falcon punch on an enemy until you've learned to do it fast," Knuckles told her, brushing his legs off.

"Admit it though, I'm getting much better!" Amy said. Knuckles gave her a small smile.

"Maybe a little," he said.

"Much better than you, klutz!" Amy intimidated him. Knuckles gave her a glare and leapt into the air. He twisted in the air and landed in front of Amy. She gasped and looked in front of her, at Knuckles who was now standing in front of her.

"I'm no klutz; let's see you do this," he said, smiling cockily again, and he leapt into the air again and towards a tree. He dug his claws into the tree's trunk and stuck there. Then, like a cat, he leapt to another tree and clung to that one. He climbed to the top and leapt through the tree tops back towards the shrine. Amy walked below, looking up at him for awhile, before she just shook her head and walked towards the shrine.

"Psh… showoff," she muttered, as she walked up the steps. She heard air rushing above her, and she looked up to see Koda flying above her, and he landed at the top of the steps. He folded his arms and looked at her, smiling and panting.

"How… was that?" he panted.

"Great… showoff," Amy said, coming up the last bit of the steps towards him. She walked past him and sat down next to the Master Emerald.

"You realize I wasn't trying to show you up, I was just trying to prove I was agile," Knuckles told her.

"Sure," Amy replied. "Phew, but I'm tired now," she said. Knuckles cocked his head and sat near her.

"You're getting better; I think you'd be able to take care of yourself just fine," Knuckles said to her. Amy smiled at him.

"Thanks! You're a pretty good teacher too!" she replied. It was quiet for awhile, and Knuckles looked down at his wrist. There was seven bloomed flower on his wrist now, and five more to go. The old wolf woman's voice echoed in his mind. "_Only true love's kiss will break you from the spell."_ He looked back up at Amy, who had her eyes closed and was resting up against the Master Emerald. He could feel his heart swelling; he wanted to do something for her, something nice. Knuckles gulped nervously and spoke.

"Hey, Amy?" he called. Amy said, "Hmm?" and opened her eyes. "Do you miss the mainland?" he asked her. Amy didn't speak at first, and she looked like she was thinking about it. Then she nodded.

"Yeah… I kind of do. I feel bad about leaving everyone behind," she said quietly. "They're probably wondering where I am by now."

"Then… I can bring you down there for awhile," he said to her. "Knuckles sort of showed me how to control the island, and I can take it down there, so you can say hi to everyone," he said. Amy looked at Knuckles with wide, happy eyes.

"Really? You'd do that?" she asked him. Knuckles smiled at her and nodded. Amy crawled towards him on her hands and knees and sat next to him. She hugged him around the shoulders and spoke.

"Thank you so much Koda. You're the sweetest guy ever!" she said.

"I'm sure Knuckles would've wanted me to have," he replied, stroking Amy's back. A few moments later, Knuckles stood up, leaving Amy on the floor.

"I'll go get us some supper, you just stay here," he said, and he turned and walked away. Amy watched him leave, a big smile plastered on her face.

"In all my years, no man has ever been this kind to me…" she muttered to herself.

Knuckles walked through the woods, his mind swimming with ideas of how to please Amy.

"I only have five more months," he muttered to himself. "I don't know," he admitted. "I don't even know if I love her, let alone her loving me back!" He sighed and put his head down. "Maybe I might as well stay this way forever… at least I know I'll have one friend," he said to himself, looking behind him, back up at Amy at the top of the shrine. "I could just say that Knuckles apparently never came back," he said to her. "…But I can't keep lying to her… I-I love her… do I love her? I don't know…" Confused, Knuckles shook his head and kept walking, trying to forget about her for a little while.


	6. Chapter 6

_Wow! This took awhile to type, actually, even though it's kind of short! Sorry it took so long to update, but I was lost for ideas at first. Well, enjoy chapter 6!_

* * *

Angel Island descended from the skies, and hovered only feet from the ground, low enough that the two could hop down and onto the mainland. Amy sucked in a deep breath of the morning air and looked out at the view ahead of them. There only appeared to be a few miles of forest and hills, before they could see the sky scrapers, building tops, and homes of Station Square, right at the bottom of the hill. Amy turned back to Knuckles and smiled.

"Oh it'll be so great to see everyone again!" Amy said happily, taking his hand in hers. "I can't wait to have them meet you!"

"Uh, actually Amy, I-I think I'm going to stick around here and keep watch over the island," Knuckles replied, removing his grip from her hand. Amy gave Knuckles a disappointed look. She knew that deep down, he was still terrified to be seen by others.

"Oh… right, I forgot," she said quietly, putting her head down.

"But don't worry," Knuckles added, lifting her chin back up with a claw, "I'll be right here if you need me." Amy let out a small sigh and looked at him, before her lips curled into a slight smile.

"O-Ok…" she agreed. "I'll be back in awhile." And with that, she turned from her friend and walked off towards town.

Knuckles looked around, standing at the edge of the island and looking down at the mainland, leaning up against the tree, looking up at the Master Emerald every once and awhile to make sure it was doing ok. That's when he thought back to what Amy had told him the first day she met him. How Sonic was completely paralyzed. He wanted to maybe go and visit the annoying blue pest… but if Amy didn't recognize him, how would he expect him to? He quickly decided against it. So for now, he was stuck lingering around the edge of the island, looking out for Amy.

It didn't take long, however, for him to see something that caught him by surprise. He was resting up against the same tree, when he heard a familiar sound, and he opened his eyes. It sounded like a sonic boom, which made absolutely no sense, considering the only one he knew to have speed surpassing the speed of sound was Sonic. Knuckles stood up, and looked out at the mainland, towards the sound of the boom. There, he saw a blue blur, mingling around trees below and heading past in the blink of an eye. Knuckles' mouth was gaping as he watched it pass, then turn and go back again, just going back and forth past his island like nothing was new. Knuckles hopped off the island and towards the rushing blur. "_This couldn't possibly be Sonic!"_ he thought. Yet, he opened his mouth and shouted as loud as he could.

"Sonic?"

The blur skidded to a stop, to reveal that it was, indeed, Sonic! Sonic struggled to keep his balance, as he stopped, and he let out a small "whoa!" as he waved his arms to keep upright. Knuckles was a bit awestruck, as he walked up to the supposedly paralyzed hedgehog standing before him.

Sonic's ears pricked up as Knuckles walked close, and he turned to look at him.

"Who's there?" Sonic asked, his eyes shifting nervously.

"Sonic… how're you...?" Knuckles stammered. He tried finish it, but the words got caught in his throat, and Sonic beat him to it.

"Knuckles? Is that you?" Sonic exclaimed.

"Wh-What? N-No… it's not!" Knuckles nervously exclaimed, backing a step away.

"Yeah it is!" Sonic replied. "I recognize your voice!" Knuckles couldn't hide it from him, especially since he needed some answers, like how he was standing.

"Yeah, it's me…" Knuckles admitted, looking down at himself. "I know, it's hard to believe, but-"

"What're you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be up on Angel Island?" Sonic asked him, smiling in his direction. Knuckles made a confused look while he spoke, unsure of whether or not Sonic even noticed his appearance.

"I landed it… practically where you're standing!" Knuckles said, "Didn't you see it?" Sonic huffed in amusement, as if he'd made a joke or something.

"No, I didn't see it," he said. "I can't really see anything, if you haven't noticed," he said, gesturing to his eyes. Knuckles' mouth opened, but it took him a moment to actually speak.

"Y-You mean… you can't see me?" he asked him.

"No, I'm blind; I can't see you at all! Didn't you already know that?" Sonic asked him. Judging by Knuckles' silence, he guessed he didn't know, and he gasped. "Y-You really didn't know about this?" he asked him. Knuckles took a good look at his eyes; his usual emerald green eyes were faded and lifeless, and he gasped.

"You're blind?" he exclaimed. Sonic brought a hand to his chin, and he bit on his pointer finger.

"Oh man, nobody told you, did they?" he asked him.

"No, nobody did tell me!" Knuckles replied, feeling angry and confused. Why had Amy told him Sonic was paralyzed? "I-I can't believe it! So… you really can't see me… like, not one bit?" he re-asked. Sonic made an un-amused look, his eyes not really looking at anyone, and he spoke.

"No Knuckles, I can't," he said. "Why? What's the big deal; you get a bad haircut or something?" he asked.

"Uh… no," Knuckles said quietly. "J-Just… feel my hand, you'll see why," he said, and he held his hand out to Sonic. Sonic blindly reached for Knuckles' hand, and finally touched it. He ran his hand over his black claws, and a confused look ran over the hedgehog's face.

"Are these your knuckle spikes?" he asked.

"No… they're my fingers," Knuckles replied. Sonic let go of Knuckles' hand and gingerly reached for Knuckles' face. He touched at his cheek and ran his hand over a stitch mark on his cheek, and he pulled his hand back as if he were repulsed.

"What happened to you?" he asked worriedly.

"It's kind of a long story," Knuckles replied. Sonic sat down right where he stood and gestured him to sit next to him.

"Well I like stories, and we have all day," he said. Knuckles sighed and sat down next to him.

"…And that's why I'm down here," Knuckles finished. He'd finished explaining everything; him becoming what he was now, meeting Amy, how much he'd done for her… and lied to her, and what Amy had told him. He was sure to mention Amy telling him Sonic had been paralyzed. Sonic sat through the whole story patiently and quietly, and only after Knuckles finished, did he speak.

"Amy told you I'd been paralyzed?" Sonic clarified, with a confused face. "And that Tails was being a complete asshole because he was filling in for me?" he asked, his voice growing more unbelievable.

"Yeah," Knuckles replied. "I have no clue why she'd lied to me."

"Sometimes I don't get that girl…" Sonic murmured, putting a palm to his face. Knuckles awkwardly cleared his throat.

"So… uh, how's Tails actually doing?" Knuckles asked.

"He's just fine! He's still tinkering, just like always. He does help me around to some places that we don't normally go to," Sonic replied. Knuckles nodded.

"Good… good," he murmured. It was quiet for awhile, before Sonic spoke again.

"I can't believe you didn't just tell Amy the truth about all of this from the beginning. I'm sure you're not that ugly!" he said to him. Knuckles put his head down, ashamed.

"I know! The lie has grown so huge, and I keep lying to cover up that one, small lie! I was so selfish, I feel terrible!" he replied.

"Then why don't you tell her now?" Sonic asked.

"Because then she'll hate me," Knuckles replied. Sonic made a little smile towards Knuckles' direction.

"Well, I may not be able to see how 'horrifyingly ugly' you look right now, but you wanna know what I think?" he asked him.

"Oh no, do I dare to ask what you think?" Knuckles asked sarcastically. Sonic didn't speak at first, which made Knuckles think he may have re-thought over what he was going to say.

"I think that you might like her," he replied, smiling. Knuckles rolled his eyes.

"Of course! I just knew you just couldn't go without saying it!" he said.

"However," Sonic interrupted with a loud voice, "I also think that since you like her, you should tell her who you really are, and if she loves Koda as much as you love her, then she won't hate you if you told her." Knuckles was quiet for a moment.

"Wow! I'm thoroughly surprised. That seemed really deep, for you," Knuckles admitted. Sonic shrugged.

"Having to slow down a little, due to my eyesight, has changed this hedgehog a little!" he replied.

"So tell me," Knuckles said, readjusting his legs, "…If you don't mind saying; how exactly did you become blind?" Sonic let out a long sigh.

"I try to forget it, but…" Sonic played with his ear for a moment. "…I was battling Eggman, and he had this machine that was supposed to emanate a really bright light, to stun the opponent so it had the upper hand. Well, it went haywire, and long story short, it blasted its rays straight at me. It caught me by surprise, and I didn't have time to look away. I've been blinded ever since," Sonic explained. "The doctors say my eyes may heal a little in time, but even then, I'll only be able to see the basic shapes and colors of things," he said, looking down. "I've been able to study my surroundings by now, so I can run a little again, but only in certain areas that I completely know the terrain on." Knuckles grew quiet again. "Y-You ok Knux?" Sonic finally asked, when he never replied.

"I'm… I'm so sorry," Knuckles mumbled. Sonic's ear closest to him perked up and he looked back up at him.

"You're… sorry?" he asked, dumbfounded; he couldn't believe Knuckles had even said it. Sonic smiled cockily at him. "Wow, I guess I'm not the only one who's changed!" he said. Knuckles huffed slightly and smiled back at Sonic. Although he couldn't see it, Sonic sensed Knuckles was smiling, and he continued. "Well, there are a few perks to being blind though," Sonic replied.

"Oh? And what would those be?" Knuckles asked curiously.

"Well, for one thing," Sonic started, a smirk appearing on his lips, "Chicks dig blind guys," he said. Knuckles smiled and chuckled slightly. Sonic did too, and after a few moments, it grew awkwardly silent.

"So, Knux? Do you really like Amy?" Sonic asked. Knuckles' cheeks blushed slightly out of embarrassment.

"M-Maybe a little," he admitted, "But I can't tell her!" he added, louder.

"Well, why not?" Sonic asked.

"Because… even if she does love me… she loves Koda, not Knuckles," he replied sadly, and he quickly stood up. Sonic looked up, towards the sound as he got up. He wanted to look at Knuckles' eyes, but since he didn't know exactly where he stood, he was only looking at Knuckles' general facial area.

"Well, aren't you Koda?" he asked, with an un-recognizable tone.

"Kind of… I am, but I'm not… it's complicated," Knuckles replied quietly. Sonic got up to his feet and touched Knuckles' shoulder, and squeezed it in his hand, smiling.

"It's only as complicated as you make it to be," he said to him. "I trust you to do the right choice," he said kindly. Knuckles looked at Sonic for a moment.

"I thought you didn't like Amy… why are you helping me?" he asked.

"We just didn't click," he said, and he let go of Knuckles' shoulder. "No go, do what you think is right," he said, and he turned away. "Talk to you later Knux!" he called, waving behind him.

"See you later!" Knuckles called.

"Won't _see_ you!" Sonic replied jokingly, before he took off running. Knuckles huffed slightly, shaking his head at his ally.

"Right…" he said under his breath. Knuckles made his way back up to the island and sat next to a rock and began to think about what Sonic had said to him.

"_He's right… I-I've got to tell her… about everything_," he thought.

A few hours later, Knuckles heard footsteps, and he opened one eye to see Amy heading up to the floating island. Knuckles stood up and flashed a little smile at her before he came down to greet her.

"Hey Koda, how was it up here by yourself?" Amy asked him.

"Not too bad," Knuckles replied, scratching at the back of his neck. "But, Amy? Do you… want to go somewhere tonight?" he asked her. Amy looked at him for a moment, before she gave him a devious smile.

"Oh, you mean like a date?" she asked him. Knuckles' cheeks blushed bright.

"Uh… m-maybe..? If you want it to be," he muttered, continuing to rub nervously at his neck. Amy smiled back at him and hugged him tight.

"Aaaww, you're so cute when you're nervous!" Amy exclaimed while she hugged him. She let go and smiled even bigger at him. "So, by 'going somewhere,' do you mean something off the island?" she asked him. Knuckles shrugged.

"I don't know… maybe dinner and a movie?" he asked, still blushing.

"Are you ok with being seen? Cuz we're going to have to go into town to do that," Amy asked him.

"Yeah… I'll live, I guess," he said. "I just want to thank you for being such a good friend." Amy smiled at him and nodded.

"I'll have to take you up on that offer then, as long as I get to pick the movie," she said. Knuckles nodded. "And," Amy continued, "I'm going to take you clothes shopping," she added, "If we're going out to dinner, I want you to dress up." Knuckles bit his lip to prevent a comment from slipping out. Personally, he hated shopping with Amy; the stores she went to were full of snooty and jerky people who can't be polite if their life depended on it, and looked down on you if you didn't have tons of money. He'd had to go with her, as Knuckles, once or twice before, for reasons unwanted to be shared, and found that out the hard way. But he didn't want to disappoint Amy, so he just nodded again. Before he knew it, Amy was holding his hand, and she tugged him towards town with her.

* * *

_I'm not going to be able to update anything for about a week-and-a-half to two weeks, cuz we're going down to Florida, and I can't bring my laptop. Sorry! Hope you enjoyed this chapter though! I'll update as soon as I can._


	7. Chapter 7

_Yes! I squeezed one more chapter in before I have to leave tomorrow! Enjoy, and remember, I won't be able to update for about two weeks or so. Sorry :(_

* * *

Knuckles looked back and forth nervously, and Amy looked back when she saw he wasn't alongside her. He was standing near the entrance to the restaurant, looking around nervously. He was dressed in a nice collar shirt and black pants, which she'd picked out for him. Amy, herself, had picked out a pretty red skirt and a black and white top. Knuckles hadn't been given too much trouble about his appearance at the store, luckily, mostly because he stayed near the back of the store most of the time, but now there was nowhere to hide.

The next thing he knew, Amy's hand was out in front of him, and he looked from it to Amy's face; she was smiling at him kindly, as she extended a hand to him.

"It's ok Koda, it isn't very busy tonight," she assured, "Just take my hand." Knuckles made a little courtesy smile and took her hand, and she led him into the double doors. The restaurant wasn't too fancy, but it was definitely not a fast food restaurant either, and Knuckles tried his best to make a good impression. Amy came up to the man at the door and asked for a table, and the man nodded and brought them to one across from a window.

"I will be back in a few moments so you may order your drinks," the man said, and he left. Knuckles looked around nervously, making sure no one was staring.

"Don't worry, nobody's even looking this way," Amy assured him, giving him a small smile, and she looked down to read her menu. Knuckles figured he should do the same, and he scooted a menu closer to him with one claw. He didn't know what half the stuff on it even was, since he normally only ate plants and drank water. Some of it looked good… but he didn't really know if he'd like it. His eyes trailed over to the booths again, and he saw a couple near them who were talking to one another while they waited. Knuckles took in a deep breath, then turned back to Amy and tried to engage her in a conversation like they were.

"So Amy…" he started, and she looked up at him. "What did you do while you were gone in town earlier today?" he asked.

"Well, first I went home and freshened up, then I went out and visited Cream. She really missed me, and she wishes she could meet you," Amy replied. Knuckles made a small smile.

"Heh… I wish I could've met her to…" he said quietly. Luckily, just in time, the man who was their waiter came back and asked them what they'd like to drink. Knuckles only got water, while Amy got a soda. They knew what they wanted to eat too, so they ordered right away. Once the waiter left again, Knuckles looked at Amy and smiled slightly.

"You look very nice tonight," he said to her. Amy smiled back.

"Thanks! You don't look too bad yourself," she replied. She put her hands up and folded them on top of the table, looking to the side awkwardly. Knuckles looked down at his own hands and the both of them sat quietly for what felt like an awfully long time, before Knuckles looked back at Amy and cleared his throat, then spoke.

"Uh, Amy..?" he started, and he paused a moment, as Amy looked back at him again. "I-I wanted to ask you… for quite awhile now…" He paused to gulp nervously. "D-Do you-?"

"Ok, here's yours ma'am," the waiter said, placing Amy's food in front of her, and interrupting Knuckles.

"Thank you!' Amy said, looking up at him.

"And yours sir," the man continued, and he placed Knuckles' food in front of him.

"Thanks…" Knuckles said quietly. Then the waiter gave them their drinks and left them alone once again. Amy watched the man leave, then she looked back at Knuckles again.

"So, what was it you were going to ask me?" Amy asked him, before she took a bite of her food. Knuckles played with the fork by his plate for a moment, and he looked up at her.

"R-Right… uh… What I wanted to ask you was, do you… l-like me?" he asked her. Amy finished chewing and spoke.

"Of course I do! You're one of the few guys to have ever been friendly to me recently," she said. Knuckles' shoulders sunk a little at her response.

"N-No, that's not what I meant. I meant… 'like me' like me…" he clarified nervously. Amy's posture dropped slightly too, and she looked right at him. "Oh," was her only reply at first. Knuckles' heart started to thump really hard at her reply, and he looked at her. Amy sighed slightly, then she made her reply.

"Look Koda, you're a great guy, and I know you mean well, but… I'm just not really ready to fall in love again," Amy replied quietly. Knuckles' heart felt like it had been crushed, and now he was suffocating. He bit at his lip and looked down at his lap.

"I see," he replied quietly.

"B-But we can still be friends though?" Amy offered, giving him a smile. She reached across the table and took his clawed hand in hers and squeezed it tight. "I promise, if my feelings change soon, I'd be more than happy to maybe have a relationship with you, just not now," she said to him. Knuckles felt a little better, but he didn't have time! He only had a few months left! But she didn't love him, which means the kiss wouldn't work! He was stumped, and he lost all hope of actually breaking free of his curse now.

After dinner, Knuckles took Amy home, so she could pack some more clothes and other preservations. However, as Knuckles waited in her bedroom for her to pack up, he knew that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't force to love him, and he only had a few months left. He was going to be stuck as Koda forever. There was no point for her staying on Angel Island with him.

"Hey, Amy? I-I think you should stay here," he said to her. Amy looked up from her suitcase with sad eyes.

"Wh-Why?" she asked him.

"Because… Knuckles hasn't shown up all this time… I don't think he is coming back," Knuckles replied solemnly. Amy walked around her bed and up to him.

"I had almost forgotten about him…" she said quietly. "Honestly, the reason why I stayed there so long was because… I sensed that you needed a friend," she said, before she hugged him around the middle. "…Someone to hug you when you felt down," she continued, as she nestled her face in his chest. After a moment of silence, Amy released him and backed away, looking up at Knuckles' eyes. "I don't want to leave you alone," she said to him.

"You're sure?" Knuckles asked her. Amy nodded at him, and made a crooked, half-smile.

"Now just sit tight… I'm almost done packing," she said to him, and she went back to packing. Knuckles' mind was going while she kept packing.

"_Well… I may never be able to be Knuckles ever again… but at least I'm going to have one good friend all the while,"_ he thought, and he smiled ever-so-slightly. The idea didn't sound to terrible anymore, and he liked the company.

Knuckles and Amy headed back towards Angel Island in the dark of the evening, chatting along the way. Both of them held one of Amy's suitcases. Knuckles climbed up first, then helped Amy up, and they headed back over to the emerald shrine, to raise the island back into the sky. However, as they came close, Knuckles caught a glimpse of a dark shadow looming over them as they walked, and he gasped.

"What was that?" he asked, looking back and forth. He looked ahead of him, and saw a dark figure swoop down from the sky on top of the shrine, next to the Master Emerald. "Oh no, the Master Emerald!" Knuckles exclaimed, and he ran towards the shrine, with Amy hot on his heels.

The two of them made it to the top of the shrine, and Knuckles glared at the figure in front of them.

"Hey, you, back away from the Emerald!" Knuckles shouted, dropping Amy's suitcase at the top of the steps. The figure jumped, as if it was startled, and it turned around and stepped forward, into the green light of the gem. Knuckles growled when he saw who it was.

"So, thought you could make off with the Master Emerald, did you, batgirl!" Knuckles snapped at the white bat standing before them. Rouge raised a brow at the strangers.

"Oh my, Knuckie, is that you?" she exclaimed with slight concern.

"N-No… my name's Koda!" Knuckles replied, though he began to grow nervous. Rouge's confused face turned into a sly grin, and she strutted up to him.

"You little liar, of course it's you!" she said, placing a finger on his chest seductively. "I recognize your voice… and only you've ever called me 'batgirl' before!" she said, smiling. Knuckles' cheeks began to flush bright red, and Rouge only smiled bigger. "I knew it was you, Knucklehead!" she said deviously. "What on earth happened to you?"  
All the while, Amy stood confusedly where she was, looking from Koda to Rogue. Finally, she spoke quietly.

"K-Koda… what is she talking about?" she asked him, her voice quavering. Knuckles shoved Rouge away from him and turned to Amy. He tried to speak, but his voice got caught in his throat. Rouge turned towards Amy.

"Koda, is it? Man girl, have you been seriously duped!" Rouge said to her. Amy growled and clenched her fists.

"You're a confused, crazy bat!" she said angrily. "He can't be Knuckles; Knuckles is away on a treasure hunt!" she exclaimed. Rouge only shook her head, chuckling slightly under her breath, and she looked to Knuckles.

"You've really got her believing all this baloney?" she asked him.

"Shut up! You're lying!" Amy snapped. Rouge came up to Amy and wrapped an arm around her tense shoulders.

"I don't know what 'Koda' here has told you, but this is definitely Knuckles. Can't you see how much he's blushing when I flirt with him?" she said. Amy looked up at Knuckles with teary eyes.

"Koda… is this true?" she asked him.

"N-No… I'd never… l-lie to you," Knuckles stammered.

"Hint two; Knuckles always stutters when he's either nervous or about to burst out in rage," Rouge butted in.

"Butt out!" Knuckles shouted at her, and Rouge backed away from the two of them.

Knuckles walked up to Amy, but Amy pushed him away from her, shouting "Get away from me!" with tears coming to her eyes.

"All this time… y-you were here… and you never told me?" Amy squeaked, wiping at her eyes with her arm.

"I tried to tell you… but then I…" Knuckles couldn't continue. He couldn't find an actual reason why he didn't tell her.

"It's because you were selfish!" Amy snapped in reply. She glared Knuckles down for a few moments, before she spoke again. "What really happened?" she asked sternly. Knuckles sighed, knowing he needed to tell her.

"I was cursed by a witch, and if I didn't share true love's kiss before one year was up, I'd be stuck this way forever," Knuckles replied quietly, putting his head down. Amy continued to glare at him, and she appeared less sad now and more angry, which he could 100 percent understand why.

"Look, I can see that you're mad; I would be too! B-But-"

"I don't want to hear it!" Amy interrupted. She looked at him for a moment, and she took a deep breath. "I can't believe it! All this time, when I thought you were just being a friend..!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe all of it was a trick!"

"No!" Knuckles cried, and he came up and put his hands on her shoulders. "No, it wasn't a trick in any way! You want to know why I didn't tell you? I was selfish, ok? I was too selfish to tell you it was me, because I didn't want you to see me this way!" he said down to her. Amy glared right back up at him for a moment, before she ripped herself away from his grip.

"The only reason you let me stay on that island was so you could get your kiss!" she said angrily, looking down at the ground. Rouge backed up a step.

"I'm sorry, did I interrupt something between you two?" she asked. Nobody answered her question.

"No! That wasn't it!" Knuckles tried to say to Amy.

"All of it… taking me down to the mainland… taking me out to dinner… asking if I liked you… it was all so you could get me to kiss you!" she, her voice bitter.

"No! That's not it!" Knuckles repeated, beginning to grow a bit irritated. "I was just trying to be nice! To thank you for hanging out with me instead of leaving me alone!"

"Hmph!" Amy grunted in reply, folding her arms over her chest. "Well you didn't have to lie to me!"

"You're yelling at me about lying?" Knuckles said irritably. "What about you? I met Sonic earlier today! You forgot to mention one tiny detail in your story… he's BLIND, not paralyzed!" Knuckles shouted. Amy's ears drooped, and her pupils shrunk nervously.

"Y-You… met him?" she asked.

"Yeah, I saw him _running around_ past the island!" Knuckles replied angrily. "Why did _you_ lie to me?" he demanded.

"Because I wanted you to come down for awhile and help Sonic around, when he needed the help!" she shouted at him, starting to get up in his face. "The only reason I lied about it was because I knew that if Sonic was only blind, you wouldn't come to help him! You never come to help unless if it's a huge catastrophe! So I made up the story about Tails going mad, so you wouldn't just shove me away!" she shouted at him. Knuckles' eyes went from angry to hurt in a matter of seconds.

"You really think I'd do that?" he asked her.

"Well, if I did tell you the truth, and asked if you could come and help lead Sonic around everywhere, would you have said yes?" she tested him, arms still folded. Knuckles sweat-dropped slightly, and he replied.

"No," he regrettably replied.

"I thought so!" Amy replied snarkily.

"But I can't leave the Master Emerald alone! You know how important it is to my people!" Knuckles snapped back in reply. Amy gave him another look.

"Well then, answer this for me; why did you leave it tonight, to take me out to dinner?" she asked him. Knuckles grew even more nervous, and he scratched at the back of his neck.

"I-I…" He couldn't answer her question, and Amy turned her back on him and headed down the steps.

"Where are you going?" Knuckles called after her.

"Home!" Amy shouted, without looking back, and she gathered up her suitcases and headed down the steps.

"Amy, please wait!" Knuckles called, and he ran after her. He caught up to her and stepped in front of her, stopping her with his hands. "Please Amy, just hear me out!" he pleaded to her. "I still want you to stay! Please don't leave me alone!"

"Why? You still going to try and get your magical kiss?" she demanded. Then, without warning, she leaned forward and kissed Knuckles on the lips, pressing her lips hard against his for several seconds, and she finished. Knuckles was caught off guard, and he just stared at her as she glared back at him, then reached up and wiped her mouth off, and shoved her way past him. Knuckles' lip quivered a bit, as he turned and watched her leave, and he felt his heart rip in two. Rouge was still there the entire time, and she walked up to the top step and looked down at Knuckles.

"D-Did I miss something here?" she asked, confused and surprised. Knuckles didn't reply, and he murmured to himself.

"The kiss didn't work… because she doesn't love me back," he murmured sadly.

"Excuse me?" Rouge asked.

Knuckles pulled his ears down and bared his teeth, as a tear rolled down his stitched cheek.

"She doesn't love me back!" he shouted, so she could hear, and he wiped at his cheek.

"Are you… crying?" Rouge asked him curiously. Knuckles didn't answer, and he took off running down the steps. "Hey! Where're you going?" Rouge called, but Knuckles didn't answer again, as he ran to the edge of the island.

* * *

_Boom, cliffhanger! Where's Knuckles going? Will Amy ever forgive him? Will Knuckles ever get changed back? All questions to be answered in chapters to come, so be patient! I'll update as soon as possible!_

_Woot, Florida, here I come! Yeah! *bye!* :D_


	8. Chapter 8

_Ok, first off, to all the commenters who think Knuckles was trying to commit suicide... he isn't. Sorry, that's just not how this story's a-rolling. Well, I'm back from Florida and I've got a wicked tan now! Anyways, here's the next chapter!_

* * *

It was around 9:30 PM. Sonic was sitting at his couch that evening, listening to the TV and beginning to nod off. He yawned and grabbed the remote.

"Television used to be so much more fun when I could see what was going on," he sighed, and he turned it off. Just then, he heard a knocking on his door, and he looked up towards it with a confused face.

"Now who would be visiting at this time of night?" he muttered, as he got up and worked his way to the door. There came another knock, followed by Sonic shouting "Coming, coming!" He reached the door and felt for the doorknob, then turned it and asked, "Who is it?" as he opened it.

"Uh... it's Knuckles," was the reply. The dark red "echidna" was still dressed in his outfit from dinner, and he stood with a disappointed slouch. Sonic was a little surprised to see him of all people standing at his doorstep.

"Oh, hey Knuckles! How're you?" he asked.

"Not too good," he replied quietly. "C-Can I come in?" Sonic drummed his fingers against his door for a moment.

"Well... although it goes against my better judgment... oh what the heck, c'mon in!" Sonic said, gesturing him inside. Knuckles stepped inside and looked around while Sonic closed the door.

His home was small, but nice for a single guy. There were pathways laid out for the blind hedgehog, so he could maneuver around any obstacles. The only thing out of place he did notice was how Sonic's stuff was strewn everywhere, out in the open. But he figured it was just so Sonic could easily find what he was looking for, like he had a place for everything. "Nice place you got here," Knuckles said.

"Oh quiet!" Sonic replied. "I know you don't think so. There's probably junk everywhere. I'd clean it, if I could see it, but I need it out so I could find it in a pinch." Knuckles didn't feel in the mood to answer Sonic's comment.

"So, what's up Knucklehead? Couldn't this wait till morning?" Sonic asked him, leaning up against the closed door. Knuckles let out a small, defeated sigh.

"I told Amy the secret," he said. Sonic sensed by the tone of his voice that it didn't go very well, and his ears perked up.

"But what?" Sonic asked. Knuckles rubbed at one of his arms with his other hand.

"It didn't go as I'd planned," he replied. "I was going to tell her tonight, by ourselves, but then that bat, Rouge, came in and ruined everything. She recognized me, and blew my cover right in front of Amy. That's when I had to tell her. She was so mad at me; you should've seen her face! And on top of it, she thinks the only reason I was nice to her, for all that time, was because I wanted her to kiss me and break the spell!" Knuckles said.

"But... wasn't it?" Sonic asked him, a brow raised.

"No! W-Well... maybe at first, but not anymore!" Knuckles replied.

"Hmm... And what about _her_ lie? Did she say why she lied to you?" Sonic asked. Knuckles felt his heart throb. He sighed, as he thought back to what she'd said.

"She thought I'd tell her to get lost if she didn't make it seem like a huge deal. That's why she made up the story about you and Tails. She actually just wanted me to lead you around for awhile," Knuckles explained. He paused for a moment, before he spoke again, more sincerely. "Y-You don't really believe that I'd do that, do you?" Knuckles asked, "Do you really think I'd have just sent her away?" Sonic took in a cautious breath before he spoke.

"I'm sorry, and please don't hit me for it, but... kind of, yes," Sonic replied. "I-I mean, whenever I used to visit you, you'd always kick me off, besides if Eggman was attacking. All I wanted to do was hang out with you, and you'd force me to leave," Sonic said, looking away from Knuckles. "Not to mention the countless amount of times you've started just swinging at me for no reason besides anger," Sonic admitted. Knuckles swallowed nervously, thinking back to all the times he'd actually done that. He'd come to a scary conclusion; Sonic was right! That was true, he did used to do that; and yet he had the gall to complain about all his friends forgetting about him! He did that to himself; he chased everyone away! He couldn't believe that just a short year or so ago, he'd been such a jerk!

"Even though it goes against everything I've ever said about you... I guess you're right," Knuckles admitted with his ears pulled down. "I guess the old witch was right, I am a terrible person," he said, looking down at his toes.

"But you aren't now," Sonic said, trying to lighten Knuckles' mood. "Even though you were a bit of a terrible person, that's in the past! The old lady turned you into a monster, but you did get some good out of it! You learned how to fix your attitude!" It was quiet for a few moments, while Sonic walked forward, towards the couch, before Knuckles spoke again.

"What am I going to do? I want Amy to know I'm sorry. I want her to know how I feel right now… to tell her what you just said," he asked. Sonic felt for his couch and sat down.

"I'm not usually very good at playing matchmaker, but if you want, I can help you out," Sonic offered.

"Really? You'd do that for me?" Knuckles asked, feeling truly touched. Sonic nodded.

"Sure! Y'know, I've started to take a liking to you, now that you've 'seen the light of your ways'," Sonic joked, chuckling slightly. Knuckles folded his arms at his chest.

"Not funny Sonic!" he warned.

Knuckles was allowed to spend the night at Sonic's place, as long as he didn't move things around, which would cause Sonic to trip. That morning, the two of them sat on Sonic's couch, and he gave Knuckles ideas to try and get Amy to forgive him.

"Ooh, how about this one?" Sonic asked. "I saw it in a movie once! You leave a flower and a piece of a poem by her doorstep each morning, and after awhile, she'll have a bouquet, and the poem will all piece together!" Sonic offered. Knuckles raised a brow at Sonic.

"And girls like this stuff?" he asked.

"Yeah, I guess," Sonic replied. "I don't know, I've never received a complaint for giving a girl a flower... except for that one time when I picked it from my neighbor's garden," Sonic said, stifling in a chuckle. Knuckles laughed too for a few moment, before he spoke.

"Eh, I don't know, this sound way too much like a secret admirer. I really just want to talk to her," he replied.

"Well, I'd give her another 24 hours to calm down first. Then, by all means, go ahead," Sonic said. "I just think these kinds of things are nice, y'know, to butter her up and make it easier for her to forgive you _before_ you go and talk to her," he said. Then he got an idea, and he reached for a camera he had sitting on the table, exclaiming "Hey!"

"We could always videotape you saying a message to her?" he offered.

"No, then she'll think I staged it or something," Knuckles replied. Sonic moaned and set down the camera.

"You're a seriously picky guy, you know that?" he said irritably. Knuckles sat quietly for a few moments, but then, stumped, he stood up and walked towards the door. "Where are you going?" Sonic asked, standing up quick.

"I'm going to go and talk to her," Knuckles replied, and he headed out the door. Sonic sighed, alone once again.

"Good luck," he murmured, as he sat back down.

* * *

Knuckles walked up to Amy's house and took a deep breath before he knocked on her door.

"Please be home, please be home!" Knuckles whispered under his breath. A few seconds later, the doorknob turned, and Amy poked her head out.

"Who is it?" she said with a small voice.

"It's me. C-Can we talk?" Knuckles replied. When she saw it was Knuckles, Amy frowned.

"I don't want to talk right now," she said, and she tried to close the door. Knuckles, however, stuck his foot in the door to prop it open.

"No no no, Amy please, listen to me!" Knuckles loudly pleaded. "Look, I was a dick, ok? A selfish dick! I should've told you the truth from the beginning, and I'm sorry! Please, don't be mad at me anymore," he pleaded. Amy glared at him for a moment before she spoke.

"You're right, you were being a dick!" she replied with a venomous voice. "Now get away! I don't want to see you again!" Amy snapped, and she kicked at his foot that kept her from closing the door.

"Amy, please?" Knuckles pleaded, with a surprisingly calm voice, while she continued to kick at his foot. "I don't want you to be mad." Amy growled and kicked at Knuckles' foot hard enough to shove it out of the way, and she slammed her door closed. She sat up against her closed door, letting out a long sigh. She felt her breaths coming out sharp and short, as she began to sniffle, and tears came to her eyes. She brought her head up and peeked out the peephole in her door. To her surprise, Knuckles was still there, but then he just sighed and walked away, not even bothering to look back. Amy's heart still hurt from the news she had received the other night, and she knelt down by the door and began to cry.

_"Why am I even crying?!"_ she thought while she cried. _"I don't care about him! B-But why does he always make my heart race when I'm around him?"_ Amy shook her head, trying to clear her mind, only resulting in a headache. She put a hand to her pounding head and walked away from the door, sniffling and wiping at her nose and eyes.

Later that evening, Amy was sitting at her desk, playing with a pencil, when her cell phone rang. She went over to it and looked to see who it was. Immediately, she moaned and picked it up.

"I thought I deleted you off my contacts!" was the first thing she said into the phone.

"Amy, we need to talk," was the reply, from Sonic, on the other line.

"Why? You want to tell me how much you hate me again? Give me another reason to cry my eyes out?" she snapped.

"No Amy, it's about Knuckles. And I never said I hated you!" Sonic replied, beginning to grow a bit frustrated.

"What about Knuckles?" she asked with quavering uncertainty. Should she care about what Sonic was about to say; what if it was important?

She could hear Sonic sigh behind the phone. "He's really, truly is sorry!" he said. Amy moaned.

"Oh no, not you too!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, me too! And honestly, Knuckles is trying his best here to be sincere and tell you he's sorry!" Sonic said angrily into the receiver. "Never in my life have I seen him so down! And that's saying something from someone who _can't _see how hurt his friend is! He came back after his little visit to your house, and has barely said two words to me since!" Sonic defended.

"Knuckles is staying with you?" Amy asked him.

"Yeah! He doesn't want to go back to the island until he's made things right, and judging by the way this is going so far, I'm guessing that island is going to be inhabited for awhile! You're just being too stubborn to accept his apology because you're angry!" Sonic said. He heard Amy growl on the other line, and it grew silent for a few seconds.

"You're right Sonic, I am angry!" Amy replied. "And you know what I'm like when I'm angry, so if I were you, I'd butt out of _my_ business and never call me again! Now, you tell Knuckles that I don't ever want to see him, or hear from or about him again! I'm done with him!" Amy hung up and slammed her cell phone on the table. But a moment later, she picked it back up so she could block Sonic's number on her contacts. Then she took in a shaky breath and ran straight for her bed. She plopped onto her bed, face in her pillow, and began to cry once again. She thought back to the good times on the floating island with "Koda." She thought back to the times when he would go out into the forest and get food for her because she was scared; all the times he'd let her rough him up during training; all the times he comforted her when she was down. She could still feel his strong arms around her all the while as she lied in her bed, contemplating. All of those kindnesses; they sure didn't seem like an act... That night, Amy cried herself to sleep, confused and unsure of herself and him.

The next day, Amy got up and headed downstairs in her pajamas. She started a pot of coffee, then walked outside and picked up the newspaper from the driveway. But as she headed back to the house, she noticed a single, red rose lying on her doorstep. Amy picked it up and looked around, but saw no one, and she went back inside with it. She could guess who it was from, and she just wasn't in the mood. Amy twirled the rose in her fingers, flattening the leaves against the stem, then threw it into her fireplace and lit a match, burning the rose until it shriveled into only black soot. Amy watched it burn, a straight face turning to a frown as it shriveled and sparked, the crackling sound echoing in her ears and the smoke burning her nostrils.

After the little problem was all cleared up, Amy fixed herself some breakfast and watched TV. She was still a little depressed, so she stayed inside all day. She was notorious for cleaning when she was upset, and by the end of the day, her entire house was spotless.

That night, as she tried to sleep, she thought back to Knuckles' sparkling, violet eyes looking at her. Of course, that explained why his eyes looked so familiar! She couldn't forget the beautiful color, or how friendly they appeared. However, after a few moments, she attempted to clear her mind of the subject, and she fell into a dreamless slumber.

The next morning, she headed outside to get the mail from the mailbox, and found two roses this time lying at her doorstep.

"Hmm?" she muttered, looking down at them with a brow raised. She looked around, but again, she did not see anyone walking away, hinting to who'd given them to her. Amy bent down and picked the flowers up, and sniffed the bloom's sweet scent. She, again, had an idea of who might have sent them to her, but for some strange reason this time, she didn't want to burn them. _"You're not going soft, are you?!"_ she thought, as she walked back inside. _"He lied to you! He's a dirty, rotten jerk! Don't keep them!"_ Amy considered her conscience, but in the end, she only burned one of them, keeping the other in a vase. She couldn't bear to destroy both of them, them being a gift for her and all.

The next morning, Amy found three roses by her doorstep. As a reminder to herself that she's still mad at him, she burnt one and saved the other two, putting them in the vase with the other one. The next day she received four roses, and again, she burnt one and added the other three flowers to her bouquet. This continued three more times, each morning, for a total of seven days. Altogether, she had gathered twenty-one flowers in her vase. Amy was unsure of what all this meant, but she was beginning to grow excited for receiving her daily flowers. She wasn't exactly sure why, either; it just gave her something to look forward to in the morning.

However, the eighth morning came, and she didn't receive any flowers. Instead, she found a note at her doorstep. She picked it up and brought it inside, before she opened it and read what it said.

"Dear Amy," it read, "I hope you got the flowers I've been leaving for you. I bet you're wondering where the eight flowers for today are? Well, the last seven days that I've given you these flowers represent the seven months of my curse. However, the amount of flowers you have altogether, multiplied by a hundred, represents the amount of wonderful times I've had with you.

I realize you may never trust me ever again, and I understand why. But I don't want you to be sad and angry anymore.

I've had so many wonderful memories with you, and if you never want to see me again, well at least I have a few hundred good memories about you to ponder and remember. I've learned so much more in this form than I have in my normal form, so I'm kind of glad I'm staying like this. I still think very fondly of you, and although you told me you never wanted to see me again, I would love to see you again in person, so I can apologize the right way, and say goodbye. I'm going back up to Angel Island later today, so I guess this is goodbye. I don't need to be taking up Sonic's space anymore, and I've still got my duties to withhold. But for what it's worth, I'm so sorry about everything, and I'm glad we were friends for awhile. See you around… maybe. With love, Knuckles."

Amy sighed and chewed at her pointer finger nail as she re-read the letter again. It felt like the tape that held the pieces of her heart together had been peeled off once again, upon hearing Knuckles was leaving. Amy looked towards her table, towards the twenty-one roses in her vase.

"...Times a hundred?" she murmured. "He has that many good memories about me?" At first, Amy thought that she had cried all the tears from her eyes, but she could feel one tear roll down her cheek at his sweet words. She sat down on her couch, and pondered for awhile whether or not she should go and say goodbye to him.

* * *

Sonic shook Knuckles' hand and said his final farewell to his friend. The two of them stood outside Sonic's home, as dark clouds began to roll in from the West.

"You sure you're going to be ok up there by yourself?" Sonic asked Knuckles. The red creature huffed in amusement.

"Might I remind you that I've survived just fine before without company?" he said to Sonic.

"Well, yeah, but that was before... you know," the hedgehog replied. Knuckles smiled at Sonic, and unexpectedly hugged his spiny friend. Sonic's mouth hung open for a moment or two in surprise, before he smiled and wrapped his arms around him.

"So long Sonic," Knuckles whispered to him. "Thank you for understanding," he said to him.

"No problemo!" Sonic replied, letting go of him. "But don't be such a stranger! Get off that island of yours and visit me more often!" Knuckles huffed in reply.

"I'll see what I can do." The two shook hands one last time, and Knuckles headed off into the woods, towards the landed island. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and Sonic blindly looked up when he felt something drip onto his forehead.

"Hmm, sounds like rain," Sonic said to himself, wiping off his forehead. He was about to head inside, when he heard fast-moving footsteps from his left, and then someone called his name. Sonic stopped at his door and looked towards the sound.

"Amy?" he exclaimed in surprise. The pink hedgehog was running towards Sonic's house in a rush.

"Is Knuckles here?" she shouted to him as she ran.

"You just missed him. Why?" Sonic called. Amy changed direction and headed towards the island.

"I've got to find Knuckles!" she called, "I want to tell him... I forgive him!" she shouted to Sonic, her voice fading as she ran off. A moment later, Amy heard a whooshing sound, and found Sonic running next to her.

"I'm coming with, in case if something goes wrong," he said. Amy skidded to a stop, and so did Sonic.

"But... you can't see," Amy said to Sonic. Sonic slowly reached towards Amy and took her hand in his.

"Then you can lead me," he said, turning to her and smiling in her direction. Amy smiled back and squeezed his hand, and she began leading Sonic through the woods. The two began to call Knuckles' name, and as Amy led Sonic through the woods, rain drops began to plip onto them. And then it began to pour.

* * *

_I've got another chapter cooking right this minute, and might even be posted later on today... if I get cracking on it. It's kind of halfway done. I can't promise the next chapter today, but I can promise you soon._


	9. Chapter 9

_Just one small warning: Sonic may seem a little ooc in this chapter, sorry._

* * *

Knuckles hopped from tree to tree close to the forest floor, since his claws did not walk very well in mud, and he wanted to avoid the rising water. The heavy rain was beginning to cause flash flooding. He leapt to another trunk, digging his claws into the bark, and took a small break. Knuckles looked up at the hazy clouds and flashing lightning, blinking away raindrops from his eyes as they fell onto his face, and he shook his sopping wet fur. But then, he heard someone call him. Knuckles immediately recognized the voice as belonging to Amy, and looked around the forest floor for the pink hedgehog. His claws began to slip from the bark, so he let go and landed in the muddy water below, splashing it up onto him. He shook his hair again to get the mud from his face and looked around again, and saw a moving blob of pink and blue in the haze ahead, heading towards him.

"Amy, is that you?" Knuckles called, shielding his eyes. A moment later, he heard a faint and echoed reply.

"Yeah, it's me!" Amy called, as she led Sonic to an old tree trunk and let go of his hand. "Stay here, ok?" she told Sonic.

"Ok! Go tell him the truth, Ames!" Sonic replied, and he smiled. Amy nodded, and she turned towards Knuckles and sprinted to him.

"Knuckles!" she shouted happily, as she ran to him. But as she ran, her foot tripped on an up-grown root, and she fell towards Knuckles, letting out a small, squeaky yelp. However, she didn't hit the ground; Knuckles caught her. Amy squeezed his arms tightly in fear as he held her, crying out his name again and "oh my god." Knuckles let her back up to her feet and held her by her by her shoulders out in front of him. He looked down at her dripping wet face with a crooked smile, as thunder rolled over them.

"What're you doing out here?" he asked her over the sounds of the storm.

"I came to apologize, and tell you I forgive you!" Amy replied. "I was wrong to snap at you like that! I'm so sorry for everything!" she said, a tear slipping from her eye. "Th-The truth is... I don't care if you're Koda or Knuckles... the friendship and kindness you showed me was real, no matter who displayed it. I just wish you'd forgive me for being a jerk."

Knuckles smiled at her kindly and, with one claw, gently wiped a tear from her cheek.

"You weren't being a jerk," he replied. "In fact… you're one of the nicest girls I've ever met. I was the one who was being a jerk," he admitted. "You're right, only a short time ago, I would've just kicked you out if you came for my help, and I'm sorry." Amy smiled and hugged him again. When she looked up again, they were practically nose-to-nose, and she found he was getting closer to her lips. But Amy's cheeks were blushing, her ears fell back, and she pulled her head away just a little, murmuring um nervously. Knuckles backed away quickly, clearing his throat nervously.

"S-Sorry," Knuckles muttered, looking away from her.

"No, I'm sorry… I-I just don't think I'm ready yet," Amy mumbled in reply, looking up at Knuckles, even though he didn't look at her. It grew quiet, besides the sounds of the storm, for several moments.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" Sonic chanted from a ways away, earning a glare from both of them. Knuckles looked back at Amy.

"You brought Sonic along?" he asked with a brow raised.

"He wanted to come," Amy replied. Knuckles huffed and looked towards the hedgehog again.

"Didja kiss yet?" Sonic called, awkwardly kicking his feet in the water rising around his log.

"Sonic, shut up!" Knuckles snapped, his cheeks still a light shade of pink, and Amy giggled a little. Another, very loud, boom of thunder startled them back into reality, and they realized they were standing up to their ankles in water. They were in a basin at the bottom of the hill, and all the fast-pouring water was building up.

"We should probably get out of this storm," Knuckles said to her. Amy nodded, and she turned from him and up to Sonic. She took his hand, and Sonic leaned up and whispered in her ear.

"Why didn't you kiss him?" he asked sharply.

"Because I'm not ready," she whispered back, before she yanked him on his way. She came up to Knuckles, who took her hand and headed up and out of the basin. Amy allowed Knuckles to lead her as he walked up the hill and out of the water, not questioning where he took her. She trusted him, but she did notice that he was headed back towards Station Square, not Angel Island. She continued to let him lead for awhile, before she just had to ask.

"Knuckles, I thought you were going back to Angel Island," she said.

"I want to make sure you two make it back home… and I'll probably wait until after the storm goes away," Knuckles replied, looking back at her. Amy put her head down.

"Oh… ok," she said with a defeated voice. For a second there, she'd hoped he was going to stay. Sonic listened intently from behind at their conversation, and he could hear the disappointment in Amy's voice, and he sighed irritably.

"Why don't you two just admit your feelings and kiss already?" he asked them. Knuckles blushed a bit again, but looked away and didn't reply.

* * *

They made it back to Station Square as the storm began to slow, and they got to Amy's house as the rain began to stop. Sonic sat by the side of the house as Amy and Knuckles said their goodbyes and she went inside.

Knuckles went with Sonic back to his house, to make sure he made it home ok, and then he was ready to head out again. Sonic dried his quills with a towel right inside the door, as Knuckles stood by the open door silently. He was looking down at his wrist, at the seven flowers bloomed on the tree, before he looked outside at the moon peeking out from behind the clouds outside. Sonic looked towards Knuckles with the towel still on his head and spoke.

"So why didn't you two kiss back there?" Sonic asked him, as he scrubbed his quills one last time and threw the towel aside.

"She doesn't feel ready," was Knuckles' reply, short and sweet. Sonic lowered his eyes.

"She doesn't have to be ready, just kiss her, and she'll feel ready," he pried. "Just grow some balls already and kiss her!" Sonic said, looking to Knuckles. Knuckles grew angry, and he came up in Sonic's face.

"Quit acting like this is only my choice!" he snapped at him. "Amy has an opinion too! She doesn't feel ready yet, so I'm honoring her choice!"

"Well Amy's always stubborn and will never admit her feelings, so you might as well say goodbye to the old you, because if you wait for her to choose, then you'll never win her over!"

Amy came around the corner, and found Sonic's door was wide open, and she could hear the conversation going on inside.

"She isn't a prize to be won!" Knuckles said angrily, eying Sonic angrily. Sonic smiled back in reply, and his ear pricked up at the sound of a noise. "She's just a stupid bitch who can't decide for herself! She's weak and pathetic!" Sonic snapped back. Amy listened in, and although Sonic's words hurt and made her want to rush in there, she completely forgot his insult when she heard Knuckles' response.

"Don't you _dare_ talk about Amy like that!" Knuckles shouted at Sonic. "If you ever call her that again, I'll tear your throat out! She's strong, she's brave, and she's smart! She's just being cautious, because _you_ tore her heart out before!"

"She's only going to break your heart," Sonic warned him. Knuckles grabbed Sonic by his collar, seething with anger. "I swear, I'll make your life a living hell if you say that about her again!" he said through clenched teeth. Sonic huffed.

"Why? It's not like you love her or anything! I mean, you're too chicken to tell her," he replied deviously, smiling back at him as he held him close to his face. Knuckles threw Sonic down to the ground.

"Maybe I do love her, okay? Are you happy? I said it!" he shouted at Sonic. "Was that what you were waiting for; for me to say it? I love her, is that good enough for you? I do love her! I'd go to the ends of this earth to make her happy, which is why I'm waiting for her!" he shouted down to Sonic. He was breathing heavily, but it slowed, and he spoke quieter and calmer. "I love her, and I realize if I rush her, then it won't be real. I have to let her choose… to do what she feels is right," he said.

Amy felt her heart rushing, and she placed a hand on it. "_He loves me…"_ she thought. _"And he actually cares about me… he's defending me."_

"Bingo," Sonic murmured, smiling a big smile.

Amy walked into the open door silently and unnoticed, and she cleared her throat. Knuckles and Sonic looked towards her.

"Amy? What're you doing here?" Knuckles asked confusedly.

"Sonic called me over. He said you had something to tell me," she said, folding her hands in front of her clean, dry dress. Knuckles looked down at Sonic with a brow raised, and Sonic smiled and chuckled, sitting up.

"That worked perfectly!" Sonic exclaimed, smiling at Amy and winking at Knuckles. Knuckles looked to Amy, who now understood what Sonic was doing. He had tricked Knuckles into saying those things, knowing Amy was right outside; he was trying to get Knuckles to admit his feelings.

Amy came up to Knuckles and looked him in the eyes.

"Did you really mean all the things you said about me?" she asked him. Knuckles' cheeks were blushing again.

"You heard all that?" he asked. Amy smiled, her cheeks also blushing, and she nodded. Knuckles scratched at the back of his neck. "Uh… W-Well, I…"

Amy wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him. "I love you too," she said into his shoulder. Knuckles was surprised, but he smiled and hugged her back.

Amy continued to hold onto Knuckles' shoulders, as she raised her face back up to look at his and rose onto her tip-toes. Her lips were only inches from his when he spoke.

"Are you sure about this?" he whispered to her. Amy huffed and smiled.

"Yes," was her only reply, before she placed a hand on his cheekbone, closed her eyes, and kissed him. Knuckles didn't even feel the transformation, just like before, and he didn't care anyways. He was too busy enjoying the moment, as he kissed the girl he loved. A wind from the open door blew in and ruffled their fur and quills as they kissed.

Sonic stood where he was and smiled; he knew what was going on, and he felt proud of his two friends. He couldn't see if Knuckles had changed back or not, but he could tell, that didn't matter to them anyway.

Knuckles and Amy finished their kiss, and as Amy expected, when she opened her eyes, she found Knuckles had changed back to his former state once again, and she smiled.

"Welcome back," she said quietly, and Knuckles smiled back.

"I love you," he whispered, and he placed a hand, with no more claws, on her cheek and kissed her again.

Sonic began to clap for them, which broke them from their kiss, and they looked back at him. Sonic continued to clap, and he exclaimed, "Congratulations!" But the next thing he knew, Amy smacked Sonic across the face with the palm of her hand.

"Ow!" Sonic cried.

"That was for calling me a bitch!" Amy said, sneering at Sonic then smiling. Sonic rubbed at his paining cheek and moaned. But a moment later, Amy apologized.

"I'm sorry, that was uncalled for," Amy said, now hugging Sonic around the shoulders.

"No, I'm sorry. I was trying to make it seem realistic. I realize, that probably wasn't very nice," Sonic admitted.

"You're right, it wasn't," Amy said, and she slapped him again, then proceeded to hug him again. "That last slap was for good measure…" Amy said under her breath in his ear. Sonic looked towards Knuckles with a gaping mouth.

"Did you see what your girlfriend just did to me?" he demanded.

"Yes, and I find it funny," Knuckles replied, making a little half-smile. Sonic lowered his eyes.

"I'm never playing matchmaker again!" he mumbled.

* * *

_The end! :D_  
_Well, I hope you enjoyed this story! I know, the story ended kind of sudden, but I was running out of ideas. Well, thanks to everyone who commented/faved/followed/etc. I'm glad to hear from you! bye!_


	10. Epilogue

_Oopsie... once again on one of my stories, I forgot one last little part. Sorry :(_

* * *

**Epilogue:**

Knuckles and Amy headed back to the Angel Island the next day. Knuckles had been away from home for too long, and Amy wanted to come with. In fact, she wanted to stay with him. As the two of them climbed up the side of the island and made their way to the shrine, to raise the island back up into the sky, Knuckles thought of something and chuckled slightly.

"I just realized," he started, looking to Amy. "I left Rouge all alone that day… knowing her, she's probably left with the Master Emerald a long time ago," he said.

"Don't worry," Amy said, putting a hand to his shoulder, "If she did, we'll go find it and take it back. I'm sure the two of us against her, we'll get it back," she assured. Knuckles nodded.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he said.

The two of them made it to the shrine, and after they trekked up the steps, they found a surprise awaiting them. The Master Emerald remained where it normally sat, and a note was taped to the side of it. Knuckles and Amy exchanged a surprised glance, before Knuckles came up to the emerald and took the note off and read it.

"You're lucky the one thing I love more than jewels is a good love story. Next time I won't be so nice," was what it read, and he gave the note to Amy for her to read. Amy read it and looked at Knuckles.

"Well… who would've thought!" Amy said with a surprised voice. Knuckles nodded in agreement, appearing just as surprised.

Later that evening, Amy was unpacking her stuff, making herself a place next to Knuckles by the Master Emerald, when Knuckles heard rustling in the bushes just below the shrine. He took a few steps down the stairs, when Amy asked where he was going.

"I heard something, just checking to see what it is," Knuckles replied, and he walked down the shrine and looked around, trying to find where the sound had come from. Then, from the bushes, emerged the same elderly white wolf who turned him into the beast to begin with.

"It's you!" he said, and she nodded as she walked up to him. Before she had a chance to speak, Knuckles did.

"Look… I want to thank you," Knuckles said to her. "A short year ago, I would've never realized what a jerk I was, and now I'm so much happier than I've ever been, so… thank you." The woman nodded again.

"You're welcome, young echidna," she replied. "I'm glad to see you're happy and have learned your lesson. If that was all you wish to tell me, then you may go back to your friend," she said, and she turned to leave.

"Wait, ma'am!" Knuckles called, and she stopped and looked back.

"Yes?" she asked.

"When you turned me into… that… are you a witch?" he asked.

"I obtain magical powers, but I do not consider myself a witch. I have only been known to do good with my powers," she replied. Although Knuckles could disagree with her words, he didn't speak, and he continued.

"So then… do you have the ability to heal people?" he asked.

"I do," the woman replied.

"What about people who are blind?" he asked. The woman nodded. Knuckles smiled, happy with her answer, as he thought back to Sonic.

"Then, ma'am, is it ok if I ask you a small favor?" he asked her. The woman smiled at him and nodded again, and Knuckles' smile grew.

* * *

_Ok, now it's the end! I had to add this into the story, because I thought this was cute! Bye Bye!_


End file.
